


Brighter Still

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Gen, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-17
Updated: 2015-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-23 10:57:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe gets hurt. Caitlin puts med school to use.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brighter Still

**Author's Note:**

> For comment fic.   
> Prompt: "This won't hurt." "She's lying."

The second Joe hits the ground, body slamming at speed into the hard concrete, he knows he's in for a world of hurt tomorrrow. When he stands, he realises quickly that tomorrow is today, doubles up and clutches what is surely a dislocated shoulder. Under his mask, Barry doesn't blink, simply grabs him and uses strength Joe didn't know he had to manoeuvre him into some sort of fireman's carry to bring him to STAR Labs. 

Of course, super speed in that position does nothing to help the pain in his shoulder and by the time Barry puts him down on one of the beds, Joe's teeth tightly clenched together are the only thing keeping him from shouting out in pain. "Sorry," Barry says as he takes off his mask. "Maybe I should have waited for the paramedics..."

"Too late now." Caitlin appears behind him, brows knit into a frown, lips pressed into a thin line. Barry gets a look on his face that Joe hasn't seen since he was in grade school and got caught stealing some of Grandma Esther's cookies from the baking tray in the kitchen. This time, he knows better than to try to talk his way out of trouble, just crosses his arms over his chest and schools his face into a mask of contrition. 

"It's not that bad." Joe manages to force the lie out but the expression on Caitlin's face makes him wish he hadn't. 

"Which of us has the medical degree?" Her voice is tart, even as her touch is gentle and Barry shoots him a look of sympathy, one that's echoed by Cisco beside him. "It's dislocated," she says after a moment. "But you already knew that."

Joe nods. "Figured." 

Caitlin glances at Barry and Cisco. "Can one of you hold his other shoulder?" Barry is moving before she's finished the question and when Caitlin looks down at Joe, it's her turn to lie. "This won't hurt."

Cisco snickers. "She's lying." When Caitlin glares at him, he looks shocked, like he didn't realise he'd spoken out loud and he mimes zipping his lips and throwing away a key. 

"Figured that too." Joe gives the younger man a half-hearted smile but when Caitlin leans down close to him, it's suddenly easier to breathe, to forget about everything but her eyes, the way a teasing smile suddenly plays around her lips. 

"Don't worry," she says, her voice low. "I'll kiss you better later." 

Against all odds, Joe feels a laugh bubbling up in his throat, and it's only partly to do with the look of disgusted amazement on Barry's face, how Cisco looks like he wants to be anywhere else. "Oh baby," he hears himself say, and if anyone mentions it, he'll blame it on the pain. "I'm gonna hold you to that."

Caitlin's smile is as bright as the flash of pain when she pops his shoulder back into place. 

Later that night, when she keeps her word, her smile is brighter still. 


End file.
